You forgot the obligatory link to the Bill-Gates-On-Voice-Recognition-Memorial-Page: http://mpt.net.nz/archive/2005/12/30/gates
According to him, it _will_ come to a PC near you in two to three years, since 1997.

Remember that Scene in Star Trek IV where Scotty tried to use a Mac Plus? Using a mouse or keyboard to control a computer? Don't be silly. In the future, clearly there's only one way computers will be controlled: by speaking to them. There's only one teeny-tiny problem with this magical fu...